Company History

1920’s Approximate date sold to Mr. Grove, a relative of the Grove family of Halesowen famous for their Horn button industry dating back a far as the 16th Century.

Leresche and Troughton - Joint Ownership 35 years

1923 Sold to Percy Leresche who "inspired by the signs of the railway sidings property" in Llanthony Road, renamed the company "The Abbey Horn Works" after Llanthony Abbey.

1932 Leresche moved the works to Kendal, Cumbria, merging the firm with the old established horn comb works owned by James Troughton and Sons, making Jim Troughton a partner.

The Barnes Family - Ownership 35 years

1955 Sold to Mr. and Mrs. John Barnes: Percy Leresche continued to work with John Barnes until Leresche's death a few years later. During this time the export market flourished and the company name was changed to "Abbey Horn of Kendal Ltd".

Three of the above employees, who worked for Mr. Barnes, still work at Abbeyhorn. See if you can pick them out from the ‘The Team’ page.

1980 Paul Cleasby joined the work force as an apprentice horn worker.

The Cleasby Family - Present Owners

1991 Having worked for Abbey Horn of Kendal Ltd for eleven years Paul Cleasby then bought the company. It was Paul Cleasby who moved the works a few miles away to the village of Holme at the old Holme Mills site of Goodacres Carpets. The name was changed to "Abbeyhorn of Lakeland".

1998 The Scottish horn works called "Horncraft" from Irvine, Ayrshire was bought from the Buyers' Family and combined into "Abbeyhorn".